Case Study: Indiana wire drawing manufacturing facility achieves major utility savings with Eaton power factor correction

Eaton Helps Industrial Manufacturer Maximize Power Factor To Achieve Major Utility Savings

An Indiana wire drawing manufacturing facility faced significant utility penalties after a plant expansion caused its power factor to drop to 68 percent. This resulted in monthly charges from the local utility. To enhance electrical utilization and eliminate these penalties, the facility enlisted Eaton to conduct an expert electrical system analysis.

Eaton implemented a customized AutoVAR harmonic filtered power factor correction system, which was specifically designed to avoid amplifying harmonics from the plant's DC drives. This solution from Eaton successfully increased the plant's power factor to 99 percent, saving over $100,000 annually and achieving a full return on the investment in under 16 months. The project was so successful that the manufacturer applied the same Eaton solution at two additional facilities.